The present invention relates to wood construction and, more particularly, but not exclusively to an article of manufacture for wood construction.
Wood construction has been in use all over the world, for many centuries.
Throughout history, wood has found favor as a building material due to its strength, economy, workability, and beauty, and its ability to last has been demonstrated again and again. From the ancient temples of Japan and the great stave churches of Norway to the countless historic North American buildings, wood construction has proven it can stand the test of time.
Wood construction has traditionally involved a variety of framing methods, also known as light-frame construction methods, and framework construction methods.
Generally, the framing methods are wood building techniques based around structural members, usually referred to as studs.
A stud functions as a load-bearing wall, which bears a load (say a floor of a building) resting upon the stud, by conducting the load's weight to a building's foundation.
The studs provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings made of non-supporting or inadequately supporting materials, forming wall parts also referred to as curtain walls, are attached.
Studs are expensive members, built of high quality and expensive wood, and usable for heavy load bearing.
The studs include vertical and horizontal members of exterior walls and interior partitions such as wall plates and lintels. The studs serve as a nailing base for covering material, and support the upper floors and roof.
Exterior wall studs include vertical wood members to which the wall sheathing and cladding are attached. The exterior wall studs may further include horizontal wood members also referred to hereinbelow as ‘beams’, say horizontal load-bearing walls fitted on a building foundation layer made of concrete or steel.
The studs are supported on a bottom plate or foundation sill and in turn, support the top plate. In tall framed buildings, studs are usually augmented by substantial posts, especially in corners or mid-points of long walls.
The framing methods have occasionally included use of light prefabricated elements, which are arranged as wall or ceiling elements, and are mounted at construction sites.
The prefabricated elements have included light building boards made of wood wool, wood fibers, or wood chips. Such light building boards are only suitable as facing tiles, not as supporting elements.
The prefabricated elements have also included frames covered with cover panels and filled with insulating material. Such elements are also not suitable as supporting elements.